Cableway.



J. "J. FITZGERALD.

GABLEWAY.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1909.

Patented sep1;.6,19 1o.

4 SHEETS-#SHEET 1.

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J. J. FITZGERALD.

GABLEWAY.

APPLICATION FILED 00127, 190e.

969,356'. Patented Sept. 6,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHBT 2.

e e EW Ma uttouwi J. J. FITZGERALD.

GABLBWAY.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1909. 969,356. e

Patented Sept. 6,1910.

J J. FITZGERALD.

UABLEWAY.

969,356. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1909. 6,

4 sums-SHEET 4.

*v ad* 5J 75 f" 30 Za 6),/70'19 e attain-m@ JOHN J'. FITZGERALD, OFNORTH WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CABLEWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application led October 7, 1909. Serial No. 521,529.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Valpole, in the county of Cheshire and State of NewHampshire, have invented a new and useful Cableway, of which thefollowing is a specication.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and practicaloverhead cable system for excavating, dredging, and other operations,characterized by a traveling track cable which is movable along theplace of work, so that every part thereof is accessible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carriage equipped with afall block which is hauled back and forth at will on the track cable,the fall block being hoisted or lowered by a cable which also serves asthe hauling line of the carriage.

Another object of the invention is to adapt the apparatus for a dumpingbucket, as well as a scraper.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed in which-Figure 1l is an elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Figs.3 and 4 are enlarged plan views of the carrier hereinafter referred to;Fig. 5 is an elevationshowing the apparatus equipped for a dumpingbucket; Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the apparatus equipped for ascraper; Fig. 7 is a plan view of an apparatus provided with twotransverse track cables on each of which a load-carrier is mounted;Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views showing the arrangement of cablesforming the tracks.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 and 11 denote two mastsrising' to a suitable height, and spaced apart, and located on one sideof the place of excavation or other work, on the other side of which arelocated two masts 12 and 13, respectivel'. These masts support parallelextending track cables on which are mounted for travel thereon, carrierswhich support a transverse track cable on which a load-carrier ismounted.

The two carriers which travel on the parallel track cables are indicatedat 14 and 15, respectively, and each comprises a suitable frame in whichis mounted a grooved wheel 16, and from the frame project arms 17 and18, respectively, having eyes at their extremities for attachment of thecables which form the track. The cables which form the track extendingbetween the masts 10 and 11 are indicated at 19 and 20. One end of thecable 19 is made fast to the arm 17 and passes over one of the sheavesof a doubleblock 21 mounted on top of the mast 11. From this block thecable 19 passes across to the mast 10, and is led over suitable guidesheaves thereon to a drum 22. One end of the cable 2O is connected tothe arm 18 and passes over a sheave 23 mounted on top of the mast 10.-From this sheave the cable 20 passes across to and around the othersheave of the doubleblock 21, and is then carried back across to themast 10 itbeing iirst made fast to the arm 18, and is led over suitableguide sheaves on said mast to a drum 25. This arrangement makes thetrack double without leaving a strain on the drum 25, when the carrieris not in operation. The cables constituting the track between the masts12 and 13 are connected to the carrier l5, and mounted in the samemanner as the cables19 and 20, each being also provided with a windingdrum, said drums being indicated at 22aL and 25a. The wheels 16 of thecarriers are mounted for travel on that portion of the cables 2O locatedbetween the sheaves 21 and 28, and upon winding said cable on the drums22 and 22a and paying out the cables 19 from the druns, 25 and 25a, andvice versa, the carriers are hauled along the track cables between tht`vo pairs of masts. The track cable on whici the load carrier travels,extends between and is supported by the carriers 14 and 15, and saidcable and loadcarrier therefore may be shifted fom one end of the placeof excavationor other operation to the other, and as the load carrier isalso movable across the same, every portion thereof is accessible to thecarrier.

The load-carrier comprises a. frame 26 from which a fall block 27 issuspended. The two ends of the fall rope 28 pass over pulleys 29 carriedby the frame 2G, and extend in opposite directions. One end of the fallrope passes over one of the sheaves 30 of a treble-block mounted on thecarrier 14, and is wound on a drum 31. The other end of the fall ropeextends to, and passes over one of the sheaves 32 of a double-blockmounted on the carrier 15, and thence passes across to, and over asheave 33 of the treble-block, and then down to a drum 34. The trackcable 35 of the load-carrier is connected at its ends to opposite endsof the frame 26. One end of this cable passes to, and over a shea-ve 36,of the double-block, and then across to and over a sheave 37 of t-hetreble-block, and then back to the frame. On the frame is mounted agrooved wheel 38 which travels on the cable 35, and on the frame is alsomounted a pair of grooved wheels 39, which are set close togetheredgewise, and between which is received that portion of the :tall ropewhich extends between the sheaves 32 and 33 whereby a double supportingtrack for the load-carrier is had.

The loadecarrier may be sent along its cable track in either directionby providing the fall rope 28 with an adjustable clip 40 at some ointbetween the frame 26 and the fallyblocr 27. This clip is so located asto engage the bottom of the frame 26 when that end of the fall rope towhich it is attached, is hauled in. IV hen the clip is fastened to thefall rope as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the load-carrier willtravel toward the left when the clip strikes the frame 26, upon windingthe rope on the drum 31, and paying out the same from the drum 34. Uponplacing the clip on the other end of the fall rope, and hauling in onthat end of the fall rope which is wound on the drum 34, and paying outfrom the drum 31, the load-carrier will be caused to travel in theopposite direction or toward the right, when the clip strikes the frame26. Any suitable receptacle may be suspended from the hook of the fallblock. In Fig. 5 there is shown a dumping bucket 41 which may be a clamshell or other type of bucket. IVhen such a bucket is employed, anauxiliary winding drum 42 is provided, on which is wound a line 43passing to the mechanism 44 for operating the bucket. The frame 2'6 isprovided with an extra pulley 45 over which this line passes, and thecarrier 14 is also provided with a pulley over which said line passes.The fall block may also be equipped with a scraper 46 as shown in Fig.6. Y

Fig. 7 shows an apparatus in which two transverse track cables 35 areprovided, on each one of which a load-carrier travels. In this form ofapparatus the hoisting devices are duplicated, and two carriers aremounted on each of the parallel track cables, the carriers of therespective cables being suitably connected, so that they will move inunison. Except as herein stated, this form of apparatus is constructedin the same manner as the one already described, and its operation isalso the same.

The apparatus herein described is simple in construction, and can beeasily operated, and by its employment, the load-carrier can be movedtransversely as well as longitudinally of the place of work, so that allpoints thereof are accessible. The preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been shown and illustrated, but it will be understood, that variouschanges, as, for instance in the hoisting devices, the supporting mastsfor the cables, etc., may be made without a departure from t-heinvention.

What is claimed is 1. In a cable way, spaced supports, a cable supportedthereby, a load-carrier mounted for travel on said cable, a fall ropemounted on the carrier, a stop on the fall rope adapted to engage thecarrier, and hauling devices connected to the ends of the fall rope.

2. In a cable way, spaced supports, a cable extending therebetween, aloadcarrier mounted on the cable, a fall rope and its block mounted onthe carrier, a stop adjustably mounted on the Jfall rope bet-Ween thefall block and the carrier, and adapted to engage the latter, andhauling devices connected to the ends of the fall rope.

3. The combination with an elevated carrier of a track cable on whichsaid carrier is mounted, a wheel on the carrier engageable with thecable, spaced supports, sheaves on said supports over which the cablepasses, the ends of said cable being connected to the carrier atopposite ends thereof, a second set of sheaves on the supports, pulleyson the carrier, a fall rope mounted on the carrier, one end of said fallrope passing over one of the pulleys of the carrier to one of thesheaves of the supports and then to the other one of said sheaves, andthe other end of the fall rope passing over the other pulley of thecarrier in the opposite direction from the other end of said rope andover one of the sheaves of the supports, hauling devices connected tothe two ends of the fall rope, and wheels on the carrier between whichthat portion of the fall rope extending between the sheaves of thesupports passes.

4. The combination of a pair of spaced uprights, sheaves thereon, acarrier, a support for the carrier on which the same is mounted fortravel, said carrier support comprising a cable connected to one end ofthe carrier, and passing over one of the sheaves of the uprights, andthen across to a sheave on the other one of said uprights, and

a second cable connected to both ends of the In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as carrier, and extending in opposite directions my own, Ihave hereto aixed my signature 10 to the pprights ancl passing over thesheaves in the presence of two witnesses. thereo one end o thelast-mentioned cable being also carried to one of the sheaves of JOHN JFITZGERALD' one of said supports and passed over the Witnesses:

same, and hauling devices connected to the GRACE F. PERRY,

ends of the two cables. FRANCIS R. BOLLES.

